What do you think of this planned trip (17 people)

[Ricbr]

My family booked a trip for 17 people (9 grandkids, 6 parents, 2 grandparents). We are going to be staying at POR (Bayou section - to make use of the trundle beds) and we arrive on July 31st (leave on Aug7th).

How many meltdowns due to the heat, the kids, a large family do you think we will be seeing :)

It should be fun though as long as we take it all in stride and try to enjoy the time there. The most difficult challenge was trying to get 17 tickets on SouthWest all for the same flight. The plane flight alone could make for an interesting start of the trip.

Besides that we have been planning where our family is going to eat. Obviously everyone likes different places and we are not expecting to all eat together every time.

So far my family (wife and 2 boys 1 infant) are planning on the following....

Day 1 - relax after the plane flight and get some counter service

Day 2 - Epcot - Le Cellier for Dinner

Day 3 - Magic Kingdom - Crystal Palace for Breakfast. Tonys town square for dinner

Day 4 - AK with a dinner at Boma....maybe some evening shopping at Downtown Disney

Day 5 - MGM with a 17 person dinner planned at Ohanas

Day 6 - Back to Epcot and a dinner planned at Whispering Canyon at Wilderness

Day 7- Final visit to the Magic Kingdom with a dinner at Chef Mickeys

Day 8 - Back home.

All of this will have daily (Mandatory) trips back to the hotel in the afternoon for some naps and pool time. We are hoping for the best....but as long as spirits remain high and we enjoy it for what it is (A trip to DISNEY WORLD!!!) it should be very memorable.

What do you think?

Any suggestions, tips, or ideas that may be different then what we have?

Thanks!

[BigRedDad]

Plan time apart from all 17 people. If you try to stay together all of the time, there will be 17 miserable people. Plan to meet at certain times during the day like lunch, catch a parade or show, pool time at the resort. If you try to plan what 17 people want to do all the time, you are in for it :mickey:.

We went with our family of 8. After day 1, going our own way made it a much smoother trip.

Things you will encounter:
1. People get up and go at different times. I want to be in line waiting for rope drop and watch the pre-opening shows. Others want to go an hour after park opening.
2. People want to wait for one thing and not another
3. People want to go in different directions.
4. There will be contention. It always happens when families get together.

[yourmagicalguide]

Sounds like a fun trip! How memorable to have that many family members vacation in WDW together. Truly magical :pixie:

I have to agree with BigRedDad that trying to keep 17 people together and happy at all times will be virtually impossible. I think it’s great that you plan on going back to POR in the afternoons for pool time and naps for the young ones. Scheduling in breaks will really be your lifesaver in the end :thumbsup:

As far as your tentative itinerary, I can’t think of any changes to make. Your restaurant choices sound great, and allotting two days at Epcot and MK is a must :D

If you have time, you should post a trip report when you get back so others traveling with large groups can learn from your experience. I know I would be interested in reading it! :mickey:

[wdwfansince75]

Most of our trips since 96 included some or all of our kids and grandkids...96 trip was with 10....trips since then were with 12 or more....Christmas trip in 2000 was with 16, including all four kids and all 6 (now 7) grandkids....From our experience...
1. For us, Park Hoppers are Mental Health Necessities....We usually do a mid day break, and spend almost every evening at the MK or EPCOT...(Note that most visits have been during Summer, with very hot and humid afternoons, and late hours at MK and EPCOT)
2. Character meals together are fun. Best times were at CM, 1900 Park Faire, Ohana, Hollywood and Vine, Donald's Safari Breakfast.
3. Our individual family groups tend to go off on their own for mornings and afternoons....and an occasional evening....We try to do something together every day, either planned, or unplanned, even if it is just a monorail ride, and a walk up Main Street....We almost always get to do the TTA, and PoTC, and sometimes CoP as a group....We have done the Safari as a group...and the Great Movie Ride...and Star Tours...And Spaceship Earth....and Soaring...
4. We normally do something unexpected together...even if it is a counter-service meal...Lots of times at Electric Umbrella...or Cosmic Rays....Or (before it closed) the Food and Fun Center at CR....
5. On every trip, we have one morning when nobody seems to want to get started...Good time for a late breakfast together, even if it is from the resort Counter Service...At SOG, we do the breakfast at least once a trip...Sometimes the late start means changing that days target park, but since we always have Park Hoppers, we can be flexible.
6. We never did a grand gathering, but thought about the GG Breakfast at Tony's....If you can still schedule it, suggest you consider the GG Breakfast at Tony's, and switch the CP meal to supper....or do dinner at LTT instead. (We are not big fans of Crystal Palace....even with ADR's large parties usually have to wait to get adjacent tables. And the food for any meal is not as good as the other buffets...IMHO)
7. (Note...delicate subject) Sometimes, couples on vacation want a little time away from the kids...And automatically think that that's why Grandma and Grandpa came along....Usually, it's the same evening that GM and GP are looking forward to some togetherness, sans kids...(Would have left those magic blue pills home, if I had known I didn't need them!) Consider WDW provided child care for those evenings...give the old folks a break.
8. Our trips have always been wonderful...Of course, I travel with my very favorite group of people...my family. Love each and every one of them...God blessed me with these wonderful people, and I thank Him for them every day. (Gee, hope my reference to a Deity doesn't violate Terms of Service).

[wdw_bound]

We are doing our very first Grand Gathering in June :cloud9:

I've got a grand gathering event booked - the illuminations dinner at Epcot. I'd definitely suggest looking into these as a special treat for the group.

Have a great trip!

[ThanxForNoticin]

Part of you almost seems to be dreading problems that might occur from having such a large group traveling together. Don't dread it - Embrace it!!!! I understand that might be easier said than done.

We've done a trip of this size 3 times over the years, and none of us would ever trade those memories - they were amazing times. You've already gotten some good feedback above. The keys to our successful family trips???

- Each family group gets their own room... Their own place to get away on their own at night or during the day.

- DO NOT try to spend every minute of every day with all 17 of you. Plan a special meal or two, and special event or two, where you'd like all 17 people to attend (by the way, your big dinner at 'OHana is an EXCELLENT choice - lots of fun). Outside of those 17-person events, just go with the flow. Some mornings 10 people in the group might go to MK, 4 to DTD, and 3 might sleep in. You'll probably find throughout the week different smaller groups will enjoy time together.

- Take lots and lots of pictures!!!

- Realize that not everything is going to go perfectly. Don't let the small things bother you. If 10 of you have a dining reservation and 3 people call to cancel at the last minute, don't worry about it - they're probably having a great time at a park and don't want to break away from the fun!


I hope you have a wonderful and relaxing trip. There's nothing like enjoying Disney with a big group and with family.

[Cinderelley]

We've had a great time on our extended family vacations. We've always planned one meal a day where everyone gets together. The rest of the time, everyone splits up into different groups. We usually run into each other throughout the day, and the groups change as we go. My family's favorite meals together have been -
1. O'hana's
2. Whispering Canyon Cafe
3. Crystal Palace for breakfast
4. Liberty Tree Tavern (when it had characters)
5. 1900 Park Fare for dinner

There were times when our trips weren't completely "appreciated" by some members of the group, but they've also said in retrospect that even those times were better than they thought at the time.